New Tottenham Hotspur ace Dejan Kulusevski opens up about ‘intense’ training sessions in England
As per football.london, Tottenham Hotspur newbie Dejan Kulusevski admits that he enjoys the rigorous training sessions at Spurs, adding that it was distinctly different from the ones he was used to in Italy.
The January signing made his debut on Sunday in the FA Cup against Brighton & Hove Albion, coming off the bench in the second half for a late cameo in front of the home fans. The game saw him experience a winning start to life in London, with Spurs running out 3-1 winners.
Despite the win, Kulusevski was subject to a rigorous post-match workout with fitness coach Gian Piero Ventrone, but the winger said he enjoyed the session as he ‘loved suffering’.
“I love suffering! That’s one thing about me. From when I was born, I love suffering. I love to work hard and I’ve already seen how they work. It’s incredible. Just now, after the game, we had a crazy session. So I love being here and love work because I know my body can get so much better.”
The game also saw a debut for his former Juventus teammate Rodrigo Bentancur, who came on in the second half and got a taste of what the games in England felt like. Unlike Kulusevski, who joined Spurs on a loan deal, the Uruguayan made a permanent move to north London last month.
Different training conditions
Head coach Antonio Conte is known to work his players incredibly hard with demanding sessions. The Italian relies on fit and physical players who can perform up to the levels he wants. Spurs’ players are now getting used to his methods since his appointment in November.
Kulusevski has only trained with the team a few times at Enfield, but he has experienced a noticeable difference between training methods in England when compared to that in Italy.
“When I came here, the training here was much more different from Italy – in a very good way. So I’m very happy to be here and the more I train, the easier it’ll be. It’s very good conditions.”
In a competition like the Premier League, fit and fast players are a basic requirement for success. The English game is played at a rapid pace and is more physical in nature. Technical proficiency alone can only get you so far in the Premier League.
For someone like Kulusevski to move to the English top-flight after spending his entire senior career in Italy, the change will be difficult to adapt to. However, the Swede’s comments seem to suggest that the player is well prepared to adjust to these changes.
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Only 21, the player has youth on his side to get used to the pace of the game and develop his body strength to suit the Premier League. There is no gain without pain and the Swede should do well as long as he is willing to put the work in.
This positive attitude is key as his loan deal is tied to certain conditions for it to become permanent, one of which is tied to appearances. If the player is able to adapt quickly and stay fit, we just may see Kulusevski make his stay in north London permanent in the coming months.
